Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Orbit, £18.99)
The debut novel from a World Fantasy award winner opens on Gaea Station, where a few thousand human survivors continue a desperate war against the alien empire that destroyed planet Earth. When her brother disappears, 17-year-old Kyr learns he’s been sent on a secret mission that will mean his death. Always the toughest, smartest fighter in her class, she risks everything to go after him. What begins as classic military space opera blossoms into something far more complex and interesting as Kyr discovers what life is like for the rest of Earth’s refugees on the planet Chrysothemis, meets a friendly alien and encounters the omnipotent intelligence known as the Wisdom. The well-told story combines thrilling action with more thoughtful content, touching on such hot topics as AI, fascism and gender politics, and looks like another award winner.
